So I won't bore you with the situtation but only to tell you that my credit has been slow and not good (spotty on payments) for the past two years. It has gotten bad in the past year. I am so frustrated about trying to figure out how to pay this and that and still have money for groceries, I don't know what to do. So I have tried to cut costs and curb spending, but with childcare and unexpected cost (trips to the dr's office and medications amongst vehicle and home repairs) it seems as though I can never make my payments on time. It has gotten so bad, I don't respond to calls from creditors and for some of my cards, I have paid them in MONTHS. Where do I start? When I respond to the creditors, I literally get ill, upset, and crying because I have let my credit get to this point. I get the same old answers from them. When can you make a payment? Can you pay the past due? (for me now...no that is how bad they are). I have one straightened out as of now. I have excellent credit as far as my house and my vehicle are concerned but otherwise, I'm in trouble. I guess my question is, is contacting each creditor and saying, "this is what I can pay" and getting it in writing the first step. I am afraid I may be to the point that I have to do debt cosolidation. ? Can anyone advise?
I am afraid I may be to the point that I have to do debt cosolidation ================= What kind of debt cosolidation?
First of all, remember they can't put you in jail, take away your first born, or eat you! Take a deep breath. Write a cease and desist letter to each one so they will stop calling you. That will take some pressure off so you can think. Then you have to get your bills in order, some type of priority to pay-but do it in stages. Get the letters written first to stop the calls so they have to put everything in writing. Read this board and others, like www.creditinfocenter.com. Each board discussion will give you ideas and help. Take it in stages.
I was looking into something that was going to put all the accounts together and allow me to make one simple payment each month. The problem is I have heard more bad than good about companies that offer this. I even went so far as to contact one, give them all of my account info and he said he could reduce my payment to something like 400$ a month with a good interest rate...but here's the thing...that is about what I should be paying now, and I can't manage to swing that. I didnt' see how it was going to help other than getting it paid off faster, but I needed immediate help with reduction in was was going out each month.
wert, sorry it "ate" my last message. I wanted to thank you for the advice. Can I find letters for cease and desist here? There are example correct?
Re: Re: so confused...where to start Watch these they can get you sued and nailed with judgments on your reports. Don't think you want that
Re: Re: so confused...where to start oh, okay thanks. Here is what I was going to do. I was going to contact each of them with my payment this month stating for this account, at this time, this is the only payment I can make. I was going to ask them to assist with overdue balances and finance charges, but also ask them to reduce my interest rates. I figured that if I was making a documented conscious effort to pay them back monthly, I might get some assistance.
Re: Re: so confused...where to start LBrown, can you elaborate on your comment about the cease and detest letter, please?
Re: Re: Re: so confused...where to start """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" What Is Validation? http://consumers.creditnet.com/stra....php?s=&threadid=42188&highlight= validation Validation must reads Per Humblemarc http://consumers.creditnet.com/straighttalk/board/showthread.php?s=&postid=343640#post343640 Validation & Estoppel letters http://consumers.creditnet.com/straighttalk/board/showthread.php?s=&postid=345391#post345391 COMPOUND INTEREST ~ Rule Of "72" And Your Score http://consumers.creditnet.com/straighttalk/board/showthread.php?s=&postid=335821#post335821 FixYourOwnCredit! http://consumers.creditnet.com/stra...848&highlight=fix+AND+your+AND+own+AND+credit """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" '''''''''' `````````` '''''''''' It's not what you spend it's how you spend it. ----------------------------- BACKGROUND: 1*Asset Management 19Years 2*Financial Services 19 Years 3*Insurance 19Years 4*Stock Market 19 Years 5*Owner of - BUDGET HOMES CO. 30 Years ~~~~~~~~~~-----------~~~~~~~~~~----------~~~~~~~ You did not damage your credit in a day-They screw it up instantly ! ----------~~~~~~~~~~-----------~~~~~~~~~~-------------- LB 59 THE END ** *** ** LB 59 """""""""```~~~```'""""""""" ><- <>- ><- <> ~~~ ><- <>- ><- <> ><- < LBrown, can you elaborate on your comment about the cease and detest letter, please? madcat <>- ><- <> ~~~ ><- <>- ><- <> ><- <>- ><- <> ~~~ ><- <>- ><- <> I get the impression some people feel sending a C&D is a magic wand that just makes things go away. I don't believe they know what C&D is means or how it works and what it's for. If you send someone a full C&D that leaves them with sueing you as their only choice to collect the debt. IF that's not what you want then don't blindly send out C&Ds.
Re: Re: Re: so confused...where to start Usually, the only C&D you want to do is partial... NO phone calls, NO third party communications. Only communications by postal mail at this address. This way you are not ceasing all communications, you're just forcing them to put all communications in writing.
Re: Re: Re: so confused...where to start I hired someone to do my debt settlement (negotiation) for me. Was that a good idea? The last thing I want to do is declare bankruptcy, but did not know what else to do to get out of the massive debt.
Re: Re: Re: Re: so confused...where to start One of these outfits got my MIL sued. Better doing it your self.Click the link. """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" FixYourOwnCredit! http://consumers.creditnet.com/stra...848&highlight=fix+AND+your+AND+own+AND+credit """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" '''''''''' `````````` ''''''''''
